BULLOCKS, AMONG THE FIRST AMERICANS IN EAST 

By Dallas Bogan

Reprinted with Permission from Dallas Bogan.  This article was published in the LaFollette Press.

At this time we shall delve into the fine family of the Bullocks. William Bullock's family is thought to have been among the first American families to settle into the East Tennessee region. William immigrated from Wales to Virginia in 1660. He served as a military man on the staff of Royal Governor William Berkley of that colony.

Richard Bullock, I, son of William, was a resident of Surrey County, Virginia, his will being probated in 1703.

Richard, II, and his wife, Susannah, are listed in 1704 as a quit claim renter of 450 acres of land in New Kent County, Virginia, his will being probated in that county in 1739.

Richard Bullock III first married a lady named Kate, and later married Ann Henley. Richard III and Ann moved from Hanover County, Virginia, about 1752, to Granville County, North Carolina. At this place he owned and resided on a 2000-acre plantation, he being the owner of numerous slaves. His will was probated in 1764. Their children were Agnes, William, John, Nathaniel, and Leonard Henley Bullock.

Agnes first married George Keeling, and after his death she married Col. John Williams. John Williams was a cousin and law partner of Judge Richard Henderson, one of the original associates of the Henderson Land Company. Judge Henderson later married Elizabeth Keeling, the daughter of Agnes by her first marriage.These and other family marriages ultimately widened the scope of the speculation group into an intertwining business enterprise.

Leonard Henley Bullock was born in Hanover County, Virginia in 1737. In 1752, he moved with his parents to Granville County, North Carolina, where on November 17, 1760, he married Fanny Hawkins, daughter of a wealthy landowner, Philemon Hawkins. No children were connected to this marriage. After the death of his first wife, Leonard married Susannah Goodlow Aug. 16, 1766, she being the daughter of Robert Goodlow, a wealthy planter of Granville County, North Carolina. Leonard and Susannah's children are listed as Leonard Henley, Jr., who died in 1821; James died in 1825; Richard died in 1856. Francis married James Lynn, a prominent landowner and politician.

Charles died in 1815. He was living on the Bullock segment of the Powell Valley land grant. He had two sons, namely, David and Elijah, the latter moving to Grainger County, Tennessee. Elijah married Polly Morris Feb. 21, 1809. David's wife was named Ruth; they had two children, Sarah, who married John McBride, and John, who was born in 1800. John married Elizabeth Hatmaker.

Leonard Henley Bullock was, like his neighbors and friends, a wealthy gentleman and known as an English Tory. He was a faithful supporter of the Royal Government and was quite well known as commander of Governor Tryon's Cavalry at the pre-revolutionary Battle of Alamance in 1771.

Leonard Henley Bullock, Sr., was serving as High Sheriff of Granville County, North Carolina by the year 1769. The Henderson Land Company was set up in 1775. At this time Leonard received 1/16 interest in the vast enterprise. This was later expanded to 1/8 interest. Being active in the administration of the company, Leonard, in 1777, was engaged in raising men to go to Kentucky where the first Henderson settlements were being documented. By this time he had given up his Tory connections and received the rank of Major in the Continental Army.

Later, in 1783, the North Carolina Assembly granted 200,000 acres of land in the Powell Valley of East Tennessee to Richard Henderson and his associates as partial payment for the expense of eliminating the Indian claims to the territories in question.

John Bullock was mentioned earlier in this text as the son of David Bullock. John is the progenitor of the families in Campbell and Anderson counties. John was helping his brother-in-law, John McBride, who was a surveyor, and while working in White Co., Tennessee, John enlisted in the army in the War of 1812 on July 9, 1814. He was mustered out at Fort Scott in July 1819.(?) He married Elizabeth Hatmaker in 1818. He died in Campbell County in 1839. Elizabeth applied for a widow's pension for his service in the War of 1812, the date being April 11, 1878.

John and Elizabeth's children are listed as: Francis, born in 1820, died Oct. 30, 1902; Burton, born May 15, 1846, died June 2, 1928; Alban, born May 15, 1846, the twin of Burton; Mary, born in 1848; Nancy A., born in 1851, died Jan. 24, 1929; Margaret "Peggy Ann," was born about 1858; Noah died young and never married; Elizabeth was born April 7, 1862 and died Jan. 17, 1929.

This fine family is quite well known in the immediate area of Campbell County. There is a much more complete genealogy in Marshall McGhee's book entitled, "Coal Mining Towns." Many thanks to Marshall for allowing the writer to use this material.